Amusement apparatus.



A H. F. MA YNES. AMUSEMENT NPPARATUS. APPLXCATTOH FILED DEC-19$ 19W.

rammed Mar. 6, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H, F MAYNES. AMUSEMENT AP APHICATION FILED DEC. 19. 1916.

PARATUS.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

4 sHrms--snam 2 H. F. MAYNESJ AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. PPLE/mm: FiLD DEC: 19. IBM).

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

4 SHEETS-$HEET 3 5 wuawiio c QM E N V A M Eh um AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED use. 19, 1916.

Patented Mm; ('3, 1917. m 4 SHEETS SHEET 4.

mmlmm lHlllllli .1...

Fillllliliilllllilllili HW W M11 "M11 wairuiv'nimnv'uirwith support comprises the seat-black 22,which may be constructed of Wood, serves as the rear wall of .the start- As shown best in Fig. 6, the collapsibl: ollowing parts.

ing chamber 14:, and is pivoted at indicated at 23 ton crossbar of the supporting frame work; The seat-back is provided at its lower i end with a pair of hinge members 2% to which are pivotally attached a pair of links 25. Each link 25 is pivoted to'a link 26 by means of a cross-rod 27 and each link 26 is in turn pivoted to a link 28 by a cross-rod 29.

The forward ends of links 28 are joined by a cross-rod 30, this rod forming a part of the means for suspending the extreme forward end of the support 16 in both posi-' Intermedate their ends links 26 are piv otally mounted on brackets 33 by means of a.

cross-rod 34 journaled in the brackets and fixedly carrying the links-26. Fixed also to this'rod 34 is an offset arm 35 connected by alink 36 with anarm 37 secured on shaft 38 formed integral with the operating ban dle 20. v Slightly spaced, parallel, transversely arranged anti-friction rollers 39 cooperate with the links 25,26 and 28 in building up the collapsible support 16, so that the support when collapsed as shown in Fig.

' 4', will always safely, smoothly and swiftly eject from the starting chamber 14 the person or persons Within the same. Certain of these rollers 39, as indicated in Fig. 6, are hollow, so as also to house the cross-rods 27,

34, 29 and 30. Each of the other rollers 39 is journaled at its opposite ends in the two links between which it extends. The roll- .ers 39 which extend between the links 25 and'between the links 26 are mounted on these links by means of journal plates 40 shown on an enlarged scale in Figs; 7 and 8.

Referring to Fig. 3, a collapsible support 16 is thus provided which comprises a seatback 22 pivoted for movement about a fixed point A, a .seat-member. B pivotally connected to the seat-back, a'seat-riser C pivotally connected to the seat-member B, and

also pivoted for movement about aiixed point D, a floor member E pivotally connected I to the seat-riser "G, and a suspending means (the swing-bar 31 and chain 32) pivotallyconnected; to the fioormember and also pivoted for movement about a fixed point F. As a result of this construction it will be seen that the collapsiblesupport not only constitutes a collapsible seatstructure ing chamber; a

door in its open position van'dthesupport but alsothe floor and back wall of thestalfb ing chamber. Considering the said suspending means as a single lever, the collapsible. support, it will be noted, consists of three lever elements andtwo link elements alter-. nately arranged and all positivelyconnected, so that solely as the result of a. partial rotation of the central element, a lever, the side riser G, the support is collapsed into an elongated slide or reformed into a seatstructure, according tothe direction of jrotation of said central element. Thus, when the operating handle -20 is moved to the 'left of Fig. 1, the support 16'is collapsed, and When-this handle'is moved to the right the collapsed support is reformed into a seat- .ing structure.

Due to the slight inclinationpf 'the seat' riser C, the support 16 is collapsed,-n otby springs or other permanently; connected agents to be subsequently contended with. when the seating structure is reformed, but bythe mere weight of the occupants ofxthe starting chamber; the work of ,theiattend ant being no more thanto release the handle '90 20 from the catchQO. When the starting,- chamber has been thus emptied, of its. occupants, the attendant swings the operatin handle 20 toward 'theright' of'Figgldfo-r an? gagement with the catch 20 thereby tu'ining..the shaft '38 a-ndcausing, through ar'm 37,;link 36 and arm 35, aroc'king :of. the

' cross-trod 3 1 so as'to reform the collapsible support into a seating structure iwhich-also; provides the floor and back wall-o start A panel or door 41 of some suitably rigid material is fixedly carried byythe operat ng shaft 38, so that awhentheoperating, handle 7 20 is actuated to rock theshaft 34: and'thus collapse the support 16,the' 'door41 is swung up and out over the-conveyer; ".fIheydoorAl is normally closed as -shown in Figs)? and 6, to conceal from those seating themselves on the support within tlie starting chamber, not only the nature of the conveyeronto. which they are to be precipitated, but also the fact of the existence of such a conveyor. The

in its collapsed condition,'and their relation to the upper end of the :conveyer where-the transporting carpet-1'1 commences its W11,- ward travel, are all shown very clear Fig. 4:. a ")1 I I I The conveyor of which thisftransporting i53 carpet 17 forms apart comprises, asshown best ,i'n Figs, 1 and 2, and 9 th 13, a fixed slidewayj or guidewayf' having-an undulating upper surface andixftf'generaldine, of extension which is descending,'a pair of 12s.

endless conveyer chains {3 each guided over}: idler sprockets 44 and 44* andover adrivin'gf' 1 sprocketfi controlled by aclutch 46, anda, pair of wide endless be ts, one of which is the transportingcarget 17a n d as other a Jali the carpet belt 17 canvas Wear belt 49, attached to the conveyer 'chains to travel with them and thus be guided relative to the upper surface of the slideway 452.

As shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, theslideway 42 comprises a pair of inclined supporting beams 42 slung on the shafts 41 of the sprockets i1, 'Across these beams are laid transverse of the. parallel st1"ips l8,'which may be of leather or. of polished metal to act as antifriction agents relative to the canvas wearbelt. 19.

'As shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the endless transporting carpet belt 17 and the endless canvas wear-belt49 are connected to each other and to the two conveyer chains by cross-bands 50, which may be of spring-steel covered with canvas, arranged at suitable intervals.

The endless conveycr thus comprised of the chains, belts and cross-bands, isso constructed, as by forming the belts or crossbands or both of a fabric of slightly elastic weave, that a sufficient amount of give is provided to permit the weight of the person being transported down the conveyer to sag I between the sprockets 44; and thus cause the carpet belt to follow the dips in the undulating upper surface of the slidewayflil. In'this connection, sheet-like members 51 are provided in overlapping arrangement and anchored 'at' their rear ends. As these members are shown in Figs. 9 and 11, they are arranged irregularly and so as to irregularly overlap laterally as well as longitudinally of the slideway. When thus arranged, they impart a rolling as well as a pitching effect to the moving carpet. rVhether regularly or irregularly arranged, however, these members 51, when anchored at their ends so as to overlap the anchored rear ends of the members in advance, are of equal value in one respect. They permit the canvas'v'vearbelt 19 to pass smoothly down the incline without rubbingover unevenly applied planks 47. These members 51 may be of leather, and the leather may be of sufiicient .thicknessand stiffness, when the members are irregularlyarrang ed, to give such pitching and rolling effect to persons traveling on the transporting carpet 17. ,Or these members may be made of spring steel or the like, to increase the rolling and pitching efi'cct. The car 'iet may be ofa plain or V mottled green to suggest a seaway.

The operationof the apparatus should be clear from the foregoing. It may, however, be particularly pointed out that when the support 16 (Sf-Fig, ejection slide shown in Fig. 4, the axes of all the anti-friction rollers 39 lie in a single inclined plane. due to the manner in which the links 25,

floor planks 4171 The floor. planking-may be secured in place by-mea ns may be so guided end of the machine. 3 is collapsed to form the 2G! and 2% are formed and inter connected. As a result, the occupants of the star'tingchamber are ejected onto the transporting carpet 17 from an ejection slide totally free from bumps. Also, as the result of the provision ofthese anti-friction rollers 39, only a very slight inclination-from the horizontal of said ejection slide is necessary.

While the departure of a patron from the starting chamber may be speedily accoInplished, as soon as the door 19 is closed, so as to take care of different groups of p: trons in quick succession at the starting chamber, the ride down the slideway42 may be prolonged very. considerably over the time required for thedescent of,a gravity incline of equal length, for the reason that the transporting carpet 17 .may be moved at any I uniform speed, 'or even at intermittently variable speeds, as desired.

- The whole apparatus may be suitably housed, as in a tent, or by canvas Walls hung. on and over the supporting framework. In. any-event, it is preferable to form an inclined tunnel extendingjrom end to end of the slideway 12, so as. to conceal the presence of the conveyer and especially its relation to the starting chamber 14. The tunnel walls may be so arranged as to maintain the tunnel in darkness from the starting chamber to a point near the apron-18 thus to increase the startling effect of the sudden collapse of the support 16; and it will be noted from Fig. 1 that the design of the supporting framework is such as to include members 52 for facilitating the creation of such a tunnel. The presence of the apron 18 is. desirable because it insures that a person transported toward the exit end of the machine by the carpet 17 will not-be injured by the passage of the carpet over the roller arranged between the driving sprockets 4:5; and if this apron be dispensed with it is desirable to station an attendant adjacent to the exit end of the apparatus to help those on the carpet 17 to leave the same at the lower end of the conveyer.

It is particularly to be understood that even in the embodiment. of the invention above described the slideway' 42 need not be inclined downwardly relative to the"start-. ing chamber. It is obvious, 'for example, thata 'conveyer including "a power-driven transporting belt' like the endless carpet 17 and controlled as to de' scend orascend, or keep to a level course, oreven follow the uphill and downdalepath of a roller-coaster or Switchback, or turn or twist as desired, while transporting a passen ger from the starting chamber'to the exit It is-of course to be that the improved colfurther understood lapsible support 'forming apart of the present invention may with considerable advantage be employed also in connection with any slideway or downwardly inclined guideway constituting a fixed conveyer, for transporting a passenger toward the exit end of the apparatus after his ejection from the collapsible support; such a fixed conveyer for example, as an immovable chute'similar to the 'avity slide shown in said Letters Patent 0. 1,058,615. I'claim: 3 1' 1. An amusement apparatus of the kind described, comprising aconveyer, a seatmember adjacent to the conveyer, a plurality of rollers mounted on the Seat member, and

' means operable to move the seat-member to cause a person seated thereonto slide over the-rollers andofl: the seat-member toward the conveyer.

2. An-amusement apparatus-of the kind descrlbed, comprising a conveyer, a seat-member adjacent to the conveyer, a floor member associated with the seat-member, anti-friction members revolubly mounted on the seatmember and on the floor member, and means operable to move the seat-member to cause a persgnto slide by gravity over the antifrictionnnembers off theseat-member .onto

the floor memberand thence oflF-the floor member onto the conveyer.

3. An amusement apparatus ot the kind described, comprising a conveyer, a collapsible support adjacent to the conveyer-and 1neluding a seat-member, seat-riser and a floor member, and means for collapsing the support into an-elongated slide inclined toward the conveyer, the seat-member, seatriser and floor member beingeaeh formed of side frames and revolubly mounted parallel cylindrical members carried by the side frames to facilitatetheejection of a person ously tilting the floor and the seat inember toward the conveyer from the support when eollapsed.

described, comprising a conveyer, a tiltable floor adjacent to the conveyer, a tiltable seat-memher above the floor and pivotally connected thereto, and means for simultane- "lf'to form an ejecting slide whereby a person "ion the seat-member is discharged by gravity onto the floor and thence onto the conveyer.

amusementapparatus of the kind described, comprising a conveyer, a tiltable 'lloor member adj acent to the conveyer, a tiltseat-riser pivotally connected to the rear 'on of the floor member, a tiltable seatber pivotally connected to the upper 'iitibn 0f the riser, and means for simultaneously tilting all these tiltable parts to re- .iorm them into an ejecting slide directed to- 0' ward the conveyer.

' 6. In an amusement apparatus of the kind described, a conveyer, and a collapsible support adj aceut to the conveyer, the collapsible support comprising pivotally connected back, seat, seat iser, floor and floor-suspension A-n amusement apparatus of.the

members, theseat-risenmember being fixedly pivoted intermediate itsends, whereby a, rotation of the seat-riser-member collapses the support into a slide for ejecting a person onthe. support and depositing such person, on' the conveyer by gravity.

7 In an amusement apparatus of the 'kind:

described, aco'nvey'er, and a collapsible support adjacent to the conveyer, the collapsible support comprising pivotally connected back, seat, seat-riser, floor and floorgsuspension members, the seat-riser member bhing fixedl pivoted intermediate its ends andtbeing su ciently inclined from the vertical to permit the weight of a person on the seat-memher to tend to rock said seat-riser member on its said fixed pivot, thus to tilt all the members so that the seat, seat-riser and floor members'combine to form an ejegtio slide directed toward the conveyer ,-r neans for restraining pivotal movement of the seatriser member, and means fpr manually releasing said restraining means. \1

8. In an amusement apparatus o f the kind described, a collapsible support adapted when collapsed to eject a person therefrom, and a conveyer arranged to receive theperson so ejected, the conveyer includinga slideway having an undulating surface arranged relative to a predetermined general line of extensionof the conveyer.

9. Inan amusement apparatus of the kind described, a collapsible support adapted when collapsed to eject a person therefrom,-

a conveyer arranged to receive the person so e ected, the conveyer including an endless conveyer belt, means for driving said belt,'

and guiding means for the belt to cause it to traverse a predetermined path away from the collapsible support;

10. In an amusement apparatus of the kind described, collapsible support adapted when collapsed to eject a person therebeing yieldably mounted on said meansso that the weight of a person on the carpet during its travel along the guideway causes the carpet to follow the curved surfaces of the guideway.

12. In an amusement apparatus of the kind described-pa conveyer including a fixed guideway having curved surfaces, a flexible conveyer carpet, means for moving the carpet along the guideway, the carpet lazing yiehlably mounted on said means so that the weight of a person on the rarpet during: its travel along the guideway rauses the rarpet to follow the curved sum-fares of the guidewa'v. and a pluralit ol' iriegularly arranged elastiev elements anel'iored above the guideway and under the-conveyor earpe t.

'13. in. an amusement apparatus of the. hind desrribed a eonreyer including a sixecl gnidewa) having curved surfaces, an endless conroyer carpet, means for moving the earpei along the guideway, the carpet being rieldably mounted on said means so tha t the weight oi a person on the earpet during its travel along, the guideway causes the carpet to follow the curved surlaees ol the llltl()- way, a pluralit eonreya-aearpet, and a weardwlt moving with the eonveyer earpet along the gnideway and interposed between the elastie elements and the eonreyer carpet.

H. In an amusement apparatus of the kind deseribwh'a ronreyer ineludine u fixed guideway. a flexible convever helt. means for moving the em'lveyer belt along the. guideway, and a plurality of (werlapoingarranged sheet-lilo elements interposed between the gnideway and the'eonrerer belt and lixed relative to the conveyer belt.

1?. in an amusement apparatus of thehind deseribed. a eorvever ineluding a lixed. guideway, a flexible eonreyer belt. means for moving the. (amveyer belt along'the I guideway and a. plufalit-y of overlappingzly and irregularly arranged elastic sheetdiho elements interposed oetween the gmdeway of elastic eleinenls an-i ehored above the. QHKlG way and under the and the. eon\'e 'er belt and anchored to the guideway.

16. in an an'lusement apparatus of the hind deserihed. a eonreyer including a fixed guidewar. a llexibh: conveyor belt, and means for uun'inglj the conveyor belt along the guideway. the eonrover helt including an endless outer transporting member, an endless inner wear nn'mber. a pair of endless conreyer chains arranged and guided for travel at opposite sides ol said endless inner and outer members. and a pluralitr of spaced erossbands s em-ed at their opposile ends to the two eourever rhaius and atlaehed at their median nations to the two endless members.

17. T11 an amusement apparatus of the kind (leseribed, a rourerer inv'ludingr a fixed gi'l'ideway, a flexible eonvever bell and means for moving the eonrm'er bell along the guidewa'y. the eonrerer belt iurluding an endless outer transporting member. an end less inner wear member. a pair of endless eonveyer rhains arranged and guided for travel at opposite sides of said inner and outer' men'ibers, and a plurality of spaced rross-bands interposed between said inner and outer members and secured thereto and to the two endless chains. 1

18. in an amusement apparatus of the kind desrribed. a collapsible supportadapted when rollapsed t ejeet a person there from. and a eon\'e 'er arranged to receive the person so ejerted, the conveyer including a lixed guideway having an undulating surface.

'In testimony whereof I al'lix my signature.

HYLA FREDERICK MAYN 1S.

(ill

It is heraby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,218,200, granted M arch 6, \917,

.upm1 the application of Hyla Frederick Mayne-s, 0f Guinrs. Pennsylvania, Iman improvement i1 "Amusemflnt Apparatus." errors appear in the printed spvrifiuntion requiring correrzlinn as follows: Pngo 1, line 89, fur Lm nurmml 1!" ram! 13; page 5, line '28, claim H, fur the word (:vQrInpping" rum! nwflMppi-ngly;

and l-lrnt the said Letters Patent shquld be reud wilh these corrections therein that the same may conform hr the record of tho case in the Patent- Oifice.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of Fchruary,;1. D., 1918.

[SEAL] J. T. NEW'ITLY.

("ummis-w'nm'r of I'd/ nk. 

